I knew she was right, but it was hard not to despair over the current fucked-up situation. “Do you mind if I check on him?” I asked. A frantic, desperate need was clawing at my insides, like an actual living beast trying to get free.
“Not at all,” she said, waving her hand for me to lead the way.
I had the best fucking friends. “Have you heard from Ilia?” I asked her. My phone was fried when I got shot with the lightning god bolt or whatever it was, and now I was phoneless. I’d tried desperately to bring mine back to life, wanting to read through all the silly, sexy texts from Asher. To listen to my voicemails one more time. But there was no saving it.
“Yep, she’s on her way back. She should be home tomorrow,” Larissa said, her smile actually reaching her eyes as she pushed some leaves aside for me. “She’s worried about you. I’ve already had seventeen messages about getting you a new phone.”
I knew she hated not being able to talk with me consistently, especially after everything that had happened. “I’m so happy she’ll be home,” I said, feeling a burst of relief.
“Me too,” Larissa admitted. “Always feels like something is missing when she’s working.”
That was so true.
Once we were through a very thick section of forest, Larissa fell back and let me lead again. I started to awaken as we got closer, the heat in my center unfurling. I was praying I didn’t lose my ability to control myself when I was near him.
“If I tell you to run, then you run,” I said to Larissa.
She blinked up at me, her big blue eyes wide. “Uh, that was random.”
I snorted. “Sometimes Asher causes me to lose my—”
“Panties,” she suggested.
“Control,” I replied drily. “Control of mypowers.” I shrugged. “Panties too, but that’s another story.”
Larissa chuckled, but it dried up pretty quickly because we were now in the darker, older part of the forest. A sense of ancient energy settled across our skin. That energy was a little different to the last time I was here …stronger.
“Holy shit,” Larissa murmured, rubbing her right hand across her left biceps, like she was chilled. I could see the goose bumps on her skin.
I felt some sort of relief when Asher finally came into view, followed by despair. His face was visible through the side of his glass tank, but the energy around him had not disappeared. I still couldn’t get closer than a few feet from him.
“What’s happening to him?” Larissa asked. Last night I’d briefly explained to her what Louis told me, but seeing it in person made it extra real.
“The power won’t release him,” I said softly. “He’s not healing. He’s not waking up. And it’s growing stronger. No one can get close enough to him to try and fix the situation.”
Larissa’s normally innocent-looking features hardened, her fangs visible as she pushed against the power barrier. “There has to be a way,” she gritted out between bared teeth. She held a hand out. “Maybe it’s a combination of race strengths needed.”
I shook my head. “I’m afraid I’ll lose control if I push any harder. My energy is raging inside of me.”
And I would never risk my friend.
Larissa, on the other hand, didn’t have the same qualms. She reached out with vampire speed and grabbed my hand, yanking us both into the barrier. A scream ripped from me as the heat exploded. For a minute I blacked out, and the next thing I knew I was smashed against a hard surface, cool glass pressed beneath my cheek and hand, my head spinning as I worked to regain my full focus.
“Maddi!” Larissa screamed.
I managed to pry one eye open to find Larissa pressed against Asher’s tank too. “I can’t move,” I said, forcing each word out through my compressed throat. My chest was firm against the glass, and it made breathing and talking difficult. My PTSD over being restrained was kicking in; the only thing stopping me from losing it completely was the fact that I knew it was magic and not a person holding me.
When I was finally able to get both eyes open—the one pressed against the glass just a sliver, but it counted—I was right near Asher’s face. And his eyes were open.
“Asher!” I shouted, trying to use my pathetic muscles to push myself up on the glass. Dammit. I really needed to get to the weight room.
Lightning flashed in Asher’s sea-green eyes. The silver was almost completely gone now. Instead, there was the brightest gold melting through his irises, sparks of energy lighting up the gold.That’s not normal.
Something was happening to Asher, something he couldn’t escape from. “Ash?” I whispered, having no idea if he could hear me but needing to try anyway.
I was ripped away before I could say another word, a soundless scream leaving me. Then in a whirl of energy I was back on the outside of the barrier, a furious-looking Louis between Larissa and me. He had both arms out, muscles trembling as he huffed. Another powerful supe stepped up, placing her hand on his chest. “Calm, sweetheart,” she said softly, and Louis’s eyes snapped to the woman. Something thawed in that hard, scary expression.
“I’m okay,” he murmured, finally lowering his arms. “I just wasn’t sure I was going to get them back.”
